I'm the personal finance writer at the Arizona Republic, covering almost anything to do with money. Early on, I focused mostly on investments, especially mutual funds, on which I co-authored two books. But lately, my scope has grown to include taxes, estate planning, credit/debit issues, banking and much more. I have focused on personal finance since even before I left Southern California to join the Republic in 1991, and I'm still learning new things. I try to practice what I preach, which means I live within my means, save something from each paycheck, invest in a diversified portfolio, watch taxes and investment costs, and hang in there for the long haul. Off hours, I like to travel, garden, read, herd cats and get things done. I also like using the Republic's great downtown gym during lunch.

Valley residents, and Americans generally, probably aren’t living within their means like they think they are.
That’s the upshot of a new survey by Country Financial that revealed a disconnect between people who think they’re living within their means and those who actually are. Among 500 Valley residents polled, 25 percent admit their monthly spending often exceeds their income,...

In the aftermath of the housing bubble, financial crisis and recession, Americans likely are taking fewer things for granted. That certainly seems to be the case with homeownership.
A new survey by Coldwell Banker Real Estate found that Americans generally take homeownership less for granted than before the bust. Some 72 percent of the nearly 2,200 respondents said they feel most people have...

Are you prepared to spend nearly a quarter of a million dollars in retirement on out-of-pocket health costs?
A new estimate from Fidelity Investments estimates a typical 65-year-old couple retiring in 2012 will need $240,000 to cover medical expenses throughout retirement. The latest tally represents a 4-percent increase from last year’s estimate of $230,000.
For many...

Financial matters are the most common source of discord among couples, prompting an average of three arguments a month, according to a March survey of more than 1,000 adults by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Some 27 percent of respondents who are married or living with a partner said disagreements over money are most likely to prompt a spat – a higher percentage than...

Mutual funds are becoming better deals for investors.
Shareholders paid slightly lower ongoing expenses last year compared to 2010, in keeping with a long-term downward trend in costs. Expense ratios for stock funds averaged 79 basis points or $7.90 annually for a $1,000 investment, reported the Investment Company Institute, and 62 basis points for bond funds, equivalent to a charge of $6.20...

Home prices in the Valley seem to be rebounding. But 20-percent median appreciation over the past year? Count me among the skeptical on that one.
Arizona State University’s Center for Real Estate Theory reported the 20-percent year-over-year increase in median prices through March. But it hasn’t been confirmed yet by other market barometers, especially the widely followed Standard...

Fewer people are getting and taking advantage of health benefits through the workplace, according to a new study.
In part, fewer employees are offered health coverage, reports the Employee Benefit Research Institute, and some workers decline coverage even when offered it, usually as a result of high cost.
In short, the institute reports that the percentage of workers between...

Valley residents are feeling a bit more upbeat about money matters. A financial-security index for Phoenix compiled by Country Financial rose 1.4 point in April to 66.2, following a 3-point drop in February, when the most recent survey was conducted. Nationally, Americans’ sentiments also increased in April to 66.2, up 0.4 point.
Phoenix residents showed more optimism about being able...

Now that your income-tax return (or extension request) has been filed, you probably don’t have to do much on the tax front for a while, except if you receive a notice or letter from the Internal Revenue Service. Audit odds aren’t particularly high – about 1.1 percent of individual filers were examined in the most recent year – and many audits can be handled quickly....

Women tend to be less financially knowledgeable than men and often pay for it in more costly credit-card practices. That’s the upshot from a new study by the Finra Investor Education Foundation, which examined credit-card practices and financial literacy among 28,000 survey participants.
Low financial literacy often translates to costly credit-card behaviors such as carrying...

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